“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.” Mark 4:3–4 (NLT)
Satan’s worst fear is that you get God’s Word rooted into your heart where it can begin to grow and produce a harvest. There is no greater threat to the enemy than a believer who knows who they are in Christ and isn’t afraid to pursue God’s plans for their life. The enemy uses several tactics to keep that from happening.
One way he tries to steal God’s Word from you is through distraction. If he can keep you busy, entertained or focused on anything else, he can keep you from spending time meditating in the Word. That means your heart won’t get fed God’s life-changing truths, which suits Satan’s goal. He needs you to stay spiritually stagnant and ineffective.
In today’s parable, Jesus compares Satan to birds, saying the enemy quickly eats any seeds that fall on a footpath. Think about this: what is a path? It’s something that has become hard-packed, impenetrable and stays unchanged over time. Nothing grows on it.
Jesus is describing what some people’s hearts are like. Before any godly truths can penetrate and completely revolutionize their lives, Satan quickly swoops in with distractions preoccupy their thoughts instead.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss ways to defeat this technique. But for today, simply exposing the enemy’s schemes will help you recognize the importance of staying plugged into the Word. Be intentional and set aside time for Biblical meditation, and you’ll soon harvest the benefits of time spent with God!